RETURN OF THE BUFFALO: TATANKA OWE AKUPI

A breathtaking herd of 50 life-size buffalo puppets gathers in New York City to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary. Part spectacle, part ritual, Return of the Buffalo: Tatanka Owe Akupi invites us to join the herd as they roam, graze, and run wild through downtown Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan, encountering live music, poetry, ceremonies, and performances along the way. Inspired by the buffalo’s extraordinary return—from near extinction to repopulation—Return of the Buffalo ushers in a new period of healing.

The artistic team will curate a series of events in Downtown Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan that will bring the life-size buffalo into the streets, at times roaming, grazing and running wild amongst everyday New Yorkers. As the buffalo herd moves along the routes, stopping at locations of historic significance, dozens of acclaimed actors, civic leaders, gospel choirs, dance troupes, marching bands, prominent musicians, and tribal ceremonies will animate parks, plazas, and squares, with live performances and inspiring public events.

Photography by Ant Strack

Return of the Buffalo: Tatanka Owe Akupi is created by Amir Nizar Zuabi and conceived in partnership with the Elders of the Lenape and Lakota Tribes, Creative Director Bryan Doerries (Theater of War Productions Artistic Director), Music Director Adam Shore, Nonesuch Records President David Bither, and Immediate Medium Artistic Director JJ Lind. The Puppetry Design is by Ukwanda Puppets of South Africa, and the Puppetry Director is Craig Leo. 

Leadership support for Return of the Buffalo: Tatanka Owe Akupi is provided by The Jerome L. Greene Foundation, with additional funding from Alexander Leff and James Armstrong, Stephanie and Tim Ingrassia, Wendy vanden Heuvel / Distracted Globe Foundation, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, Alliance for Downtown New York, H.B. Henson Fund and Cheryl Henson, SHS Foundation, and the DUMBO Business Improvement District.

Artwork by FAILSPACE | Photography by Marc Brenner